fabulously frugal mommy

Attention Kroger Shoppers:

Before you begin shopping at Kroger you need to do a few things:
First you need a Kroger Savings Card, you can get this by going to Customer Service and requesting one. They are free to you and save you tons of money, you don’t get the sales prices without it.

Next you need to register your Kroger Card with the following sites. They allow you to load coupons directly to you Kroger Card, and can be used in combination with a paper mfg q and/or a store q. Which gives you even greater savings.

Shortcuts
PG eSaver
Cellfire

I also believe that Tom Thumb and other stores that offer loyalty cards may use these programs.  Check the websites to see what stores are involved.  You can combine your cut coupons with these electronic coupons so the savings are amazing!!!

Here is some basic information to get you started on your couponing journey.  Start saving those Sunday papers and getting yourself organized!!!

q=coupon

Albertson’s
· Will Accept 4 Like Coupons
· Will Double / Triple up to 4 Like Coupons
· Will Double Up to and including $.39
· Will Triple Up to and including $.50
· They Double and Triple everyday, no sales dated needed
· It has been my experience to get overage, if you have fillers to consume it

Krogers
· Will Accept Unlimited Like Coupons
· Will Double / Triple up to 3 Like Coupons, After they are taken a face value
· Will Double Up to and including $.39
· Will Triple Up to and including $.50
· They Double and Triple everyday, no sales dated needed
· It has been my experience to get overage, if you have fillers to consume it

Brookshires
· Will Accept Unlimited Like Coupons
· Will Double / Triple 1 Like Coupon, After they are taken a face value
· Will Double Up to and including $.39
· Will Triple Up to and including $.50
· They Double and Triple everyday, no sales dated needed
· I do not know if the allow overage

Tom Thumb
· Will Accept Unlimited Like Coupons
· Will Double / Triple 1 Like Coupon, After they are taken a face value
· Will Double Up to and including $.39
· Will Triple Up to and including $.50
· They Double and Triple everyday, no sales dated needed
· I do not know if the allow overage

*Please note that at all of these store you can combine a manufacture q with a store q to maximize savings.
For example, last week Albertson’s has a coupon for a 24 pk of soda for $3.99 with additional purchase. I was able to purchase the 24 pk of Diet Coke and use the $3.99 Albertson’s coupon along with my $1 off 24 pk of Diet Coke peelie coupon.
So I paid $2.99 for a 24 pk of Diet Coke.

okay.  I know so many ways to save money that it is hard to know where to start.  After organizing my thoughts a little bit I have decided to blog first about coupons!  Believe it or not, a few short months ago I could say that I had never clipped a coupon in my life.  Sure I’d used the occasional diaper coupon that the company mailed me or that was inside the last pack I bought…when I remembered that I had it…but I honestly did not see the point.  I attended a “coupon party” a few months back and was absolutely amazed to say the least!  And I began seeing the savings immediately!  I have already more than cut my grocery bill in half!  …that’s right…in half!  …and I am buying name brand products and more of them.  So, let’s get started.

My main source of coupons is the Sunday paper.  I usually buy 2 (my area has a double Sunday pack available) but I know many people that buy more.  I clip almost every coupon.  My rule of thumb: If I can get it for Free, would I want it?…then clip the coupon.  I have a 3 inch binder that I purchased baseball card inserts for.  I have my binder divided into sections with tab dividers:refrigerated, frozen, dry grocery, cleaning products, paper goods, baby products, misc.  As I go down each aisle in the store I open my binder to the section of the store I am in and match the products to the coupons that I have.  When I first got started I did not have that many coupons but now that I have been saving coupons for a few months I am just amazed.  I also collect coupons from the blinkie machines on the grocery store aisles and save them for future trips when the items go on sale.

One more important tip: I shop at stores that double and triple coupons.  In my area Kroger and Albertsons triple coupons up to .39 and double .40 to .50.  So each week I bust out my sales ads and match the ads up with my coupons.  Many times they have 10 for $10 sales…you do not have to buy 10 items to get the item for a dollar.  Let’s say you have a coupon for .35 off an item that’s in that sale…that coupon triples becoming $1.05 and that item is on sale for a dollar.  The store is actually going to pay you .05 to tote it out of the store for them.  That when buying multiple papers comes in handy!

This is a lot of information to take in but its a start.  I will blog more about coupons and store policies tomorrow.